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Michelle Rauchete Petronov
An elder of advanced age on the cusp of an awakening, some have called her crazy, while others say she suffers from ennui. She is just coming to understand that she really knows very little about the world and how it works. She is caught between the younger Kindred who see only a few years in front of them and those older than her that plan for thousands of years as she struggles to hold onto her Humanity. Michelle was the former Prince of New Avalon, the first to claim that title when she took control of the city in the name of the Camarilla from the independant Gangrel Hector. She disappeared in the 1920's for about 80 years, during which Natalia Mishkin stepped up to take over the reigns of power as Prince of New Avalon, and most believe that she was in torpor during that time. After returning, she found that the power structure had changed, though she had no desire to reclaim her mantle as Prince, apparently supporting Natalia in the role she currently claims. After only a few years from returning, Michelle has once again faded into obscurity. Some believe that she returned to torpor while others think that she actually left New Avalon. A few believe that she has finally been destroyed and no longer walks the nights. She was once reputed to have been spotted visiting Natalia's sire, Dmitri Simyanova, the Prince of Castle Dell, Georgia, whom is said to have supported her when she first claimed New Avalon as a Camarilla Domain. History Much of Michelle's history is clouded even to her and she'll tell you as much. She believes she was born in Lyon, France during its infancy as a city but is uncertain. She knows she was a Lasombra ghoul to a traveling gypsy by the name of Sergei for at least 100 years before being Embraced but doesn't know if it was longer. The only date she thinks she knows for sure is that of her Embrace which was August 21st, 1233. She was taken into Clan Ventrue by Stefan of Rauchete, the King of a dead French region now even forgotten in the history books. Having discovered their human ties, Michelle was extremely loyal to her Sire, even to this day despite his demise by the Courts of Love. The only things she has of him are a family signet ring and his sword aptly named, "Sword of Olympia". She spent many years in Marseilles, where her Sire was once upon a time Prince of the region, and she helped awaken Lord Titanus of Clan Brujah who ruled until he was diablerised by his angry and bitter childe Elise. She made several trips back and forth from Marseilles to the Holy Roman Empire before it became Germany to speak with a conclave called by Lord Hardestadt to unite the clans. Having been hunted by the Red Brothers she agreed with Hardestat's estimation of hiding from mortal view. Several present did not want to hide and refused to do so - Titanus being one. Titanus, caught between the Sea of Shadows and the Tzimisce Voivodate, he gave Michelle the command of an army and told her to choose which front she wanted to fight. Having dealt with the Lasombra before, on more than one occasion, she figured the enemy she knew was better than the enemy she didn't. She headed to Spain to fight in the Sea of Shadows only to discover that she had been set up by Elise, Titanus' jealous childe, to fail. After a decent struggle with the laughable army sent with her, her pride not allowing her to retreat, her army was defeated and she was captured by Lord Shado. She spent the next month undergoing unspeakable torture before a Nosferatu by the name of Danni managed to free her from Shado's clutches. Shortly after returning home she was sent a gift by Shado, a dagger with a blade of shadow. After Titanus' diablerie, having been hunted herself, and dealing with a crumbling city, Michelle decided to leave and headed to England finding her way to Exeter. The Victorian Age After being allowed to remain in Mithras' domain she stayed on in Exeter for several years with her childe Alyssa Boudouir. After some time she was recognized by the Court of London and allowed to move to the city. She spent some time as a Deputy for London's Sheriff before becoming the Ventrue Primogen. She remained loyal to Mithras, even during his 50+ year absence and fought against the Scottish Toreador who encroached on Mithras' lands, despite the fact that she married Alexei Petranov, a Russian Toreador, on January 1st, 1500. In order for her to be able to retain her loyalty to Mithras without it interfering with her marriage, he spent the war torn years in Marseilles. At one point she gave the Embrace to her ghoul Veronique Fitz Gilbert. Later, Veronique went on an Embracing binge, and Michelle was forced to destroy her and her coven. The shift in politics, traditions, left Michelle in a life of decadence. Soldiers, as she had been for hundreds of years, were no longer needed. The meaning of honor morphed and empires were no longer held together by the sword. She quickly had no direction, no orders to follow, and didn't know what to do with her endless nights. Becoming somewhat cruel and petty, she wrote to the one person whom she thought might understand - Lord Shado. Inviting her to his fortress in Spain and against Alexei's words of caution she agreed to go to learn what she could from him. After asking permission she returned home to find Elise, Titanus' childe, and Seth, Michelle's grand-childe, waiting for her. After a brief hostile conversation she got Elise to admit she diablerised Alexei and one of the few times in her unlife she allowed the Beast to take control. Overpowering them both in a harsh battle she diablerised both Elise and Seth. Intent to see that Lord Shado paid for his crimes of sending Elise and Seth to take her love she went to Lord Shado's fortress in Spain under the guise of wanting to continue under his tutelage. Not truly convinced, when she arrived, her ghoul Francis, her newly acquired ghoul Margarit, and childe Alyssa were both there as tests of her willingness. The bluff up almost immediately, Francis ignited the newly installed gas lighting which ended up burning down the fortress and Francis, Alyssa, and Michelle escaped on foot for a while before hitching a ride to Paris. Shado managed to escape in the chaos. While in Paris, she met with Prince Francois Villon and traded a Boon for her emergency stay in Paris where she confessed her sin to Alyssa, about how she had killed Alyssa's father to take the girl for herself. Alyssa, outraged, left without a word. Michelle and Francis pressed on to Marseilles without her after several centuries of not being there to find that Danni had taken over as Prince. After a few nights in Marseilles, revisiting the past, and realizing how it was not the city she remembered, Danni revealed a betrayal. Having had contact with Shado, he made her a deal, peace with the Sea of Shadows in trade for Michelle. Using the knowledge to her advantage they set up the old Rauchete Manor to blow. Emptying the secret tomb of the departed Titanus they discovered the desicated corpse of a vampire who had been locked away for half a millenium. Michelle, deciding that she more than likely would not survive her plot, diablerized him as well for the strength his blood would grant her in defeating Shado. Michelle lured Shado into the inner garden, using the gift of Protean taught to her by Rishan, a Gangrel in London, she sunk into the earth as the Rauchete Manor destroyed him. After three nights she was finally able to rise after the intense heat of the rubble cooled. Making her way back to London, her childe Alyssa, took Exeter as her own Domain, and became Prince. Michelle, before leaving for Spain, had asked her to watch after her horse Emile while she was away, to come home to the severed head of her old friend. Alyssa was not happy. Deciding to pay for her own past crimes, instead of hoarding the artifacts collected from Titanus' tomb, she prepared to give all she had received to London's museums. In a night, all that she had brought from Marseilles suddenly disappeared, and the easy manipulation of the massive endeavor sent her into a spiral of paranoia. Uneasily making amends with her childe, she decided to leave it all behind for the United States. Early Century to the Modern Nights Making her way to New Avalon she found the city somewhat dismal. More of a colony rather than an established city, the lodgings and general area weren't much at first. Searching for other Kindred, in order to present herself to the city, she spent several nights blindly looking. It wasn't too long until Hector, a Gangrel, found her. Trailing with him David and Lida, his childer, he for the most part demanded she leave. Having dealt with a Gangrel or two before she decided to challenge him. Succumbing to his pride and not understanding Michelle's power or age, it wasn't much of a fight. She allowed Lida the satisfaction of destroying her abusive Sire. In the interim she also met Monique Langdon who cautiously allowed her to stay in the city. In order to protect her new home she counciled with a local Archon, Marshal Longshaw, and gained his support to take New Avalon as her Domain and became Prince. The local Brujah Rick Bowden didn't take to this at all. In order to maintain peace with the few Kindred there, she made Monique the Sheriff, Rick the Brujah Primogen, Willum the Seneschal, Lida the Scourge, and David the Gangrel Primogen. Surrounded by Sabbat and hounded by her past enemies it was difficult to keep New Avalon a Camarilla city. Known Ghouls Francis Decker Kari Parker